Contents of the BOXES.DOC file

BOXES.DOC 1.1

by Mel Raff 7/9/91

These are a pair of simple utilities I wrote to make batch files work in amore presentable fashion.

BOXECHO simply displays the content of a text file on the screen in a colored box. The only required parameter is the name of the text file (including itsdirectory path, if not in the default directory). You can also specify thebackground and foreground colors (default is white on blue), the location ofthe top row and left column, and whether or not to pause for a keystroke before exiting (or returning to the calling batch file).

For instructions, enter BOXECHO with no parameters at all. A batch file demonstrating the operation of BOXECHO, ECHODEMO.BAT, is included, alongwith the text file it displays, ECHO.TXT.

BOXYESNO displays the content of a text file and then waits for the user topress Y or N. If the user presses Y, BOXYESNO returns, setting the DOS errorlevel to 0. If the user presses N, BOXYESNO returns with errorlevel setto 1. If any key other than Y, y, N, or n is pressed, BOXYESNO beeps and continues to wait. By properly structuring the batch file which calls BOXYESNO, you can make a batch file branch according to the user response.

Full instructions appear when BOXYESNO is entered with no parameters. A batchfile demonstrating the operation of BOXYESNO, YESNO.BAT, is included, along with the text file it displays, YESNO.TXT.

These programs were written in Turbo C with assembly language routines tospeed screen output. To afford complete compatibility, I have includedversions of the programs which use the BIOS rather than writing directlyto video memory. If BOXECHO and BOXYESNO do not perform properly on yoursystem, try these versions instead. To do so, delete or rename BOXECHO.COMand BOXYESNO.COM; then, rename BOXECHOB.COM to BOXECHO.COM and BOXYESNB.COMto BOXYESNO.COM. Screen output will be more noticeably line-by-line, butit should still look good, and the programs should work properly.

BATBOX11.ZIP Contents (9 files):

BOXECHO.COM BOXYESNO.COM These are the programs.

BOXECHOB.COM BOXYESNB.COM These are BIOS-compatible versions of the programs.

These utilities are hereby released forever into the public domain: they arefreeware. You are encouraged to distribute these files AS A PACKAGE as widelyas you wish. You are nevertheless welcome to donate a dollar or two if you find them useful and feel so inclined. Such donations would improve the quality of my state of mind, if not my material welfare, and, more to the point, they would let me know that the programs are appreciated. As a result,I might work to improve them, or even create some more. But comments and suggestions are welcome in any case.